Category Archives: Interview

Interview: Emily Barker of Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo

I always love it when I come across an artist on complete accident and soon become a fan.  Emily Barker is one of those artists who I stumbled upon last year after hearing her and Mr. Frank Turner duet on the Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo song “Fields of June”.

Her name may not be well known just yet here in the states, but I have a strong feeling that that will all be changing in the next year or so.  Having already played the opening ceremony for the Olympics as well as was featured on the UK roster for the Revival Tour last year, Barker has everything going her way.

Of course Barker is not alone and is surrounded by amazing talent in her band.  Having dug into their catalog, I can only say that I wish it did not take me that long to get into them.  They have been doing their thing since about 2005 and have already three albums to show for it.

Next month, Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo will be releasing an all new album titled Dear River and have already planned on an extensive UK tour to support the new release.  Having already heard a couple of tracks, I would be lying if I said I was not excited for this.

Recently, I had the chance to catch up with Barker and not only got to asked her about rubbing elbows with Frank Turner, but some other questions as well:

BHP: Hi Emily, thanks for taking some time out of your busy day to chat with me.  How’s the week been treating you?

EB: Good thanks! Nice to see the sun. Very busy trying to get everything prepared for the album release, alongside doing a bunch of other projects that I’m involved with.

So, for those who have not heard of you yet, tell me a little about yourself and your band.

I’m from Bridgetown, Western Australia but have lived the last 11 years over here in the UK doing my music. The Red Clay Halo are Gill Sandell: accordion, piano, guitar, flute and bvox; Anna Jenkins: violin, viola and bvox; Jo Silverston: cello, electric bass and bvox. We’ve also recently been joined by a drummer: Nat Butler due to the sound of ‘Dear River’, our forthcoming record, having more of a “rock” vibe. I guess we play contemporary folk/rock music. As a songwriter, I’m very much influenced by Neil Young – both his more acoustic sound as well as the heavy, guitar-lead stuff with Crazy Horse. As a singer, I’m really influenced by Aretha Franklin. So what have we got now…folk/rock/soul but then there’s the classical element that The Red Clay Halo bring too so…

You were born an Aussie, but eventually ended up in the UK. How did that come about?

I headed over to the UK with a working-holiday visa that lasts for 2 years. I worked in the UK in order to travel all around Europe, Brazil, Canada and the USA. At the end of my two years, I was living in Cambridge and fell into the music scene there. I loved it so I kept returning. After a while I made the decision to try to be a musician full time and also to live in the UK.

How tough was it to move away from home? 

It wasn’t that tough to move away. I really wanted to see the world, but it is tough staying away. I miss my family everyday and at the same time, I realise I’m becoming more and more embroiled in my life here, so the idea of moving back now becomes this huge, overwhelming question. I wish Australia was closer to the UK so I could just pop over for a weekend.

So, at what age did you start getting into music?

At a really young age. There was always a lot of music in our family home. Dad was big into vinyl and he played loads of 60’s/70’s singer-songwriter/folk revival records (all the usuals – Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, etc.) as well as a lot of blues, rock and jazz. My mum plays a bit of guitar and used to sit us all down and teach us old English folk songs and children’s nursery rhymes. She taught us how to harmonize. When I was a teenager I auditioned (because my peers dared me to!) for the Year 9 band as lead singer. I sang “It must have been love” by Roxette and got the role.  Then I made a deal with the only other musicians in the school at the time (they were big into heavy metal and none of them sang), that if they would play soul songs for me, then I’d sing heavy metal for them. So our set consisted of Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry, Etta James, Metallica, Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Quite a combo!

Nice.  That is a completely random list of bands to cover!  How long ago did you meet up with The Red Clay Halo?

8 years ago when we were all living in London.

Was the Red Clay Halo already doing their thing when you were introduced to them, or was this just a new collaboration once you started playing together?

A new collaboration. They hadn’t played together before or met (apart from Jo and Anna).

What exactly is this genre “chamber-folk’ that has been used to describe some of your songs?  

I’m not sure who coined that phrase but it definitely worked for our album “Despite the Snow” and probably also “Almanac”. I guess chamber-folk has got an element of classical music/arrangements in it. We certainly have that in certain songs.

You’re pals with a guy who has pretty much made a huge name for himself here in the US over the last couple years. I am sure tons of people ask you how you met and eventually shared the stage with Frank Turner in the UK. Honestly, if it were not for him, I may not have been privy to Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo. So, how’d y’all meet?

Frank is a very good friend and a huge inspiration to me. I first met Frank about 6 years ago at one of our shows in Brixton. [He] invited me out on the road with him and the band to open up the shows. We did something like 28 shows in 30 days – Frank style! – and became good friends then. We have had the honour of performing on his records and sharing his biggest musical moments with him: Wembley Arena and the Olympics Opening Ceremony. I am forever grateful for his support. We have more plans to collaborate too!

Playing the Olympics Opening Ceremony.  How insane was that?

Totally insane! So difficult to compute due to how epic it was. I’m so pleased Frank asked us to be involved. Was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime moment. We had A LOT of fun!

I bet.  I wanted to talk about the murder-ballet that Frank Turner appear on called “Fields Of June”. Not only was the rendition outstanding, but it had me hoping you two would duet again. Any change that will ever happen again?

Why thank you very much! It certainly will happen again. We’re actually talking about doing something very soon – most likely a cover but I’m sure we’ll write something original at some point in the future too.

Who was the original guy who shared vocal duties with you on that song when it first released?

Steve Adams from a great band (no longer together sadly) called The Broken Family Band. The Singing Adams now exists though and they’re awesome.

You have a new album that is coming out soon don’t you? Care to tell me a little about it?

Of course. It’s called Dear River and it’s out on July 8th on Linn Records. We recorded it in a state-of-the-art studio called Gorbals Sound up in Glasgow with producer Calum Malcolm. The songs are all about ‘home’ – a subject I’ve been quite preoccupied with since leaving Australia 11 years ago with a backpack and a wish to see the world. It’s my personal story of home but it includes those of other’s too and covers the related themes of exile, emigration, land rights and ancestry.

With the new release, you all have a  UK tour coming up.  I heard Chris T-T is opening for you. I must say, I am jealous I will be missing out on that tour!

It’s our biggest headline tour in the UK ever. We’ll also be playing Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London on 16th October which is our biggest headline show! We’re really pleased to have Chris join us. It’s something we’ve been threatening to do now for about 4 years.

Threatening? Haha, I don’t see why that should be a threat. Were there any other musicians or acts you tried to get to join you on tour?

Not on this one. We knew we wanted Chris T-T. There’s a bunch of people we’d love to take but they’ll have to come on other tours.

I have to ask, when will you ladies tour the states? Please tell me soon.

I’m hoping to come over and do a solo tour at the end of the year! I’ll keep you posted…

So say you did make it to the states on a tour. Who would you want to share the stage with?

I’d love to meet up with The Revival Tour guys again: Chuck Ragan, Rocky Votolato, Cory Branan and Jay Malinowski. Or…Neil Young and Gillian Welch!

Speaking of the Revival Tour, you happened to play one of my all time favorite tracks “Fairytale Of New York” with Mr. Chuck Ragan. Whose idea was that? You guys nailed it and I can not tell you how many times I listened to it over and over. Thanks for that.

Our pleasure. It was Chuck’s idea. I recorded my part in Australia when I was back there for holidays. Love singing with that gent.

I am sure the Dear River UK Tour will take up the latter part of 2013, but what else will Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo be getting into this year?

We’re doing a bunch of festivals over the summer; I’m writing quite a lot for TV and film at the moment; I’ve got two other side projects: Folk in a Box (smallest music venue in the world) and Vena Portae (Swedish/Anglo collaboration/band); I’m also writing an EP with Ted Barnes and the list goes on. So keeping myself busy for sure!

Folk in a Box? You have got to tell me about this. Sounds fun.

It’s Britain’s smallest music venue, if not the world’s! You can read about it [at] www.folkinabox.net

That just looks like so much fun. So, what is Vena Portae all about?

It’s a collaboration between a Swedish producer/engineer/musician Ruben Engzell, a British theatre maker/musician/composer Dom Coyote and myself. We made an album last year which we’ll release hopefully early next year – it’s quite hard to fit in with all the other things going on but we love it and it will happen soon.

Wait. Ted Barnes? As in the guy that played with Beth Orton?

Correct!

That is just awesome. Tell me, why should someone check your band out?

In order to define what “chamber-folk” is, OR because we’re all decent enough human beings working hard at what we love, OR because it will lead you to a really great coffee shop somewhere in London/the UK.

Or because you and your band sound amazing. Seriously, I first thought you were from Nashville when I heard you signing solo.  I’ll stop with the pleasantries now.  Let’s hope you make it to the states soon.

Bless ya thanks.


Dear River will be released on July 8th in the UK.  Pre-order the album HERE.

Check out the rehearsal video that was taken of Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo while playing “Ghost Narrative”:

Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo are:

Emily Barker
Vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica

Anna Jenkins
Violin, viola, vocals

Gill Sandell
Accordion, piano, flute, vocals

Jo Silverston
Cello, bass, banjo, vocals

For more information on the band, visit www.emilybarker.com or check out her Facebook page.  Also, if you like photography and randomness, you should find Emily Barker on Instagram.  She takes some pretty awesome photos.

Interview: Jim Domenici of The Fake Boys

Earlier this year, I threw a record on my turntable by a band I had never heard of.  I did it out of morbid curiosity and honestly was not too sure I was going to even get through the first side.  Of course I judged a band by its cover and had no right in doing so, because that record ruled.  The band is called The Fake Boys and I made sure I did a proper review on them clearly pointing out that they reach back to the 90s and should never have been considered a pop punk band.

I do not know honestly why I was hesitant in spinning that record.  Maybe I need to just cut that crap off.

Anyways, I am glad I introduced myself to The Fake Boys.  If you were lucky enough to have grown up in the 90s and fed off the music scene, chances are you will love this band.  They recall alternative rock, grunge rock, and true punk rock in their style making for a style this music listener really appreciated.

Recently I was able to catch up with signer/guitarist Jim Domenici of The Fake Boys post-Fest.  It’s a little bit of a read, but let me tell you, this may be my favorite interview I have done to date.  Jim’s mind rolls just like mine does in ways and it was just fun shooting the breeze with him.  Check it out:


BHP: So, tell me, since I once again missed out on it…how was The Fest?

JD: We had a great time [and] got to see all our friends from around the country in one stop.  I tucked myself away at a bro bar and watched football for the majority of my time.  Overall, Fest exceeded my expectations and we couldn’t have been happier

Football huh? College or pro?  What teams are you a fan of?  I’ll always be a Browns fan for life.

Pro.  I’m a New England Patriots guy through and through though I would like to see them get away from this pussy pass shit and get back to defense.  The Buffalo Bills are also my guilty pleasure.  I know they are in my division, but I love the dirty culture.  Other then that, I can get behind the Browns, Niners, and Chiefs.

Nice.  So were you able to check out a lot of bands you wanted to see?

Luckily, we got to enjoy all of the bands we wanted to see.  Negative Approach was great; most brutal.

More importantly, how was your set?

Anyone there who means anything to us was in the room singing along and headbanging the whole time.  Probably the best show we’ve ever played.  I realized how lucky we are to do what we do.

Seriously, what feelings do you have when you play your heart out to a crowd and see them all singing along with you?

I can’t even explain.  I’m just a regular dude who tries to be as selfless as possible so the shit I write about really floors me.  To see people connect or even just appreciate my art enough to apply my songs to their own lives is the only reason I’m alive.  I’m a lucky guy.

Who else did you guys get to play with that night? 

House Boat, Pretty Boy Thorson, and Vacation all destroyed Nelly’s. We were all lucky to play such a solid venue to such a dope crowd.

So, let’s talk about the Fake Boys. Is there any special meaning behind your band’s name?

Our band is an open book.  The name, lyrics, melodies, song structures, album art, and even Facebook posts are all meant to be ripped apart so i don’t want to give away too much, but anyone who knows us personally knows we don’t front.  In a scene that blows it’s load over anyone and anything made of paper or plastic, we are definitely the odd men out but that’s ok.  We want the listener to figure things out for themselves and apply what they dig up to their own lives.

Can you give me a little history on how The Fake Boys became?

We all played in hardcore bands for years and as we got older we really missed melody.  We combine the ethos and aggression of hardcore with our love for song writing and crafting melody.

Nice way to formulate what you are now musically.  So was it always just Jim, Joe, and Jay? That’s a lot of J’s.

No, we’ve had a few drummer, but this is the first time we’ve felt like we’re all on the same page.

What was it like growing up in Lowell, MA?

We all actually grew up in different parts of Massachusetts and moved the band to Lowell to write the This Is Where Our Songs Live LP.  It’s a great city and reflects the working class values we believe and has always been a vibrant art community.  That being said, because of it’s mix of culture, it’s a wonderful place to create for good, honest, hard working people.

It is so easy for me to hear 90s alt rock in your sound. Who are some of your influences?  I am sure that is a very open ended question…

Well, I’m 30 so what do you expect?  For us the 90s sound is not a trend, it’s something what we grew up on.  Unlike the fake punk boom of 1994 that destroyed music as we know it, the explosion that came before it was the first and last time we saw real people getting their due for making real music in our lifetime, besides a few important bands who broke through i.e. rage against the machine and  Against Me!.  The early 90s explosion was driven by that hardcore ethos that lives within us, it’s something innate that we just can’t shake.  It’s not so much about a sound but about a way of thinking.  The bands that really do it for us are  Nirvana, The Fastbacks, Superdrag, Negative Approach, Ramones, Black Flag, Poison Idea, The Beatles, and Dinosaur Jr.

I’m 35. I hear ya about your preference in sound. I’ve been listening to more bands than ever that I grew up with like Hum, Promise Ring, Quicksand, and Dino Jr. just to rifle off a couple.  Do you really need to just blame all the fake 94 punk acts?  What about all the new bands or even the old bands that just keep trying to stay alive and really have no business doing so like dare I say Green Day and sadly Jane’s Addiction?

Ha ha, I don’t mean for shit like that to be taken too seriously as most of the time I’m just trying to entertain myself while putting my true feelings on the table.  The differences between people’s taste is important and keeps music from getting boring.  I don’t know why people seem to get bummed when I write about how I don’t like a band.  Just because I’m not a fan doesn’t mean that I think others shouldn’t be.  I grew up on bands like Nirvana and the Ramones who hid nothing.  Kurt liked Eddie but was pretty vocal about how he thought Pearl Jam was terrible!  The Ramones hated the Sex Pistols and Johnny was a proud Republican.  These bands were powerful because they kept it real and didn’t play the game for the sake of doing better.

I’m not a little bitch, so I’m not going to lie about my taste to sell records or make friends.  Anyone offended needs to lose their ego.  It’s just for me personally, the 94′ explosion never did anything.  When I look at it, I see a departure from the independent nature of the early 90s and the start of “we will do whatever you want, just pay us.”  It just sucks that the culture that bent over for business is what people commonly refer to as punk.  That’s just not punk to me, so I guess maybe I’m not punk.  To be honest, I try my best not to mention Green Day in this mess ever.  I think they’ve written some really great songs.  I’m a fan up until Warning, and besides that “Minority” song, I think Warning has some of their best material.  I also do not dislike music just because it’s a specific genre or from a certain time period, I dislike music when I get a feel that the song writing is dishonest.  I don’t write because I want to, I do it because I have to, so maybe I’m a tough sell.  I like any band who I think writes good songs.  I think of music from a next level perspective, I’ve learned to ignore all genres.  We are a band and when we go on tour we play with other bands and I take them for what they are  with no influence from public opinion.  With that being said, there are a lot of great bands in this country and they know that I’m not talking about them.  I think Lipstick Homicide should be the biggest band in the world and they’re going to be; they could save rock and roll.

Damn dude…well said on many levels.  Moving on, Pig Factory was a killer release by you all. When can we expect a follow up?

Aas soon as we wrap up this trip, we are going to demo some new jams.  We’ve actually been playing a new one called “Red, White, and Bouge” on this current tour.

I have seen a lot of people label you guys as pop-punk including someone at punknews.org, but that is far from the truth. What do you have to say to those who are quick to label your sound in one genre?

I mean, people can only speak about what they think they understand.  The fact is, I grew up on bands, not specific types of bands. The Beatles were a fucking band, The Ramones were a fucking band, as bands grew you wanted to grow with them because you liked the fucking band! For me, the best part about rock and roll was wondering what a band was going to do next.  With the pop punk scene,  you don’t seem to see that as much because most people within the scene aren’t intelligent enough to do so  It’s insecurity that scares people from thinking outside the box.  We come from the strongest hardcore scene in the country and shit is real, so we honestly don’t give a fuck about pop punk scene.

So, what is up with the cover for Pig Factory?

I want people to put the record on, read the lyrics, examine the cover and figure it out for themselves.  Like I said, this band is an open book.

I did that exactly with Pig Factory. I felt like a teen all over again examining everything from the vinyl itself to the lyrics. I wish more bands would do that.  iTunes really ruined that experience if you ask me.

I agree.  People I went to school with in the 90s who don’t go to shows or know anything about punk have emailed me and said things like “I haven’t gave a shit about music since high school and i just want you to know that you’re record brought back feelings i thought i would never feel again” and that’s what it’s all about.

I love that you have no problem vocalizing your thoughts over certain social networking sites. From salt intake to being of age when In Utero originally released, I am always entertained and intrigued by what I read. One of the posts I found interesting was pertaining to how you were once a 22 year old brainwashed Republican. What happened to you that broke the chains of self-closure within the comfort zone you were trapped in?

I took a principles of logic class and it fucked my life up for good in the best way possible.  I realized that the choices I’d been making weren’t logically sound and were in no way reflective of who I really was as a person.  I realized that being happy was the only goal worth having and that it was easier to achieve than people think or don’t think.  When I examined my life choices up to that point, I realized that the driving force behind them was insecurity, status, and money.  I was completely brainwashed.  It’s hard to think back on my life without getting upset, I was such a miserable person.  I wanted to die but was too much of a fucking pussy to do anything about it because I was caught in that comfortable, corporate net.  In the end, I have no one to blame but myself, but with the help of logic, philosophy, hardcore, and a good friend, I was able to figure out who I really am and how to live my life to it’s fullest potential.

I’m glad you got there, but I don’t think you should blame yourself at all man. You came to terms and moved to where you want to be. Honestly, I’m still hoping to find that
niche that takes me to a new level where I can honestly say I’m living life to the fullest.

Right, life moves.  We gotta move with it and to think that where we are today is where we will be tomorrow is absolutely illogical.

So I know you are going to be wrapping up a tour, but what is next for The Fake Boys?

Just going to spend the holidays with my friends and family, get back to busting my ass at a job that i truly love with all my heart, and i’m going to write the greatest rock and roll record of all time… again.

Tell me why people should listen to your band.

We’re real.

Anything you would like to mention?

Save the country, buy American, and lose your ego.

Interview: Blue of Masked Intruder

Masked Intruder‘s self-titled release was pretty much the soundtrack to my summer this year.  Full of love songs surrounded by committing crimes, the album is a pop-punk gem that I know tons of people have enjoyed as much as I have.  Think Ramones and Descendants joining forces and becoming villains of love.

If you have not heard of Masked Intruder yet and like your punk poppy, you have no reason to not check them out.  To make matters even more fun, the band had chosen to hide their identity to the public.  Each of the four members in the band wear different colored ski masks to help tell them apart from one another.  At this time their identity has still not been revealed.

Recently I was able to chat with Blue, the lead signer/guitarist of Masked Intruder.  The result was one of the more entertaining interviews I have done in some time; granted he held me at knife-point for the entire interview.  I guess that is what I get for agreeing to meet a masked musician in a dark alley.  I am kidding of course…at least that is what he told me to say…

So, who the hell are you guys?

We’re Masked Intruder.  We’re a pop punk band.  We used to be total dorks, then we got wise and started doing cool shit like breaking the law and writing love songs.  We’re still dorks, I guess, but we feel cooler.

What’s up with the masks?

When you do the kinda stuff we do, you don’t want people being able to positively id you.  It’s not exactly something you wanna advertise, you know?  I am referring of course to writing pop music.  I mean, everybody likes a sweet song, but nobody wants to admit it.  People are ashamed to be softies.  It’s sad but true.  Also, we don’t want the cops to catch us.  Also, we think that our masks are pretty cool, and kinda go with the whole theme.

I agree.  Seriously, how hard was it really to find masks that matched your shoes and gear?  Was that planned?

You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.  We were in the joint when we started, so we had to figure out a way to get the masks inside.  You can’t just go to amazon and order whatever in jail.  Or prison, for that matter.  You gotta be creative.  Sometimes, you gotta give a dude a blowjob, or stab a dude with a toothbrush you sharpened on your toilet.  We didn’t have to do nothing like that, thank God.  Still, it was hard.  But yeah, it was planned.  Everything about Masked Intruder was planned.  What do you think dudes do in prison?  You plan.  And lift weights, I guess.  And some dudes play chess too.  Of course, the worst part was getting color coded instruments.  You literally cannot get a guitar in prison.  We had to wait till we got out to do it, and it was still fucking hard.  It’s harder than you think to find a chance to nab the right color instrument.  Green ended up lifting a red guitar and just covering it in green tape.  It turned out pretty cool, actually.

You’ve been doing a good job keeping your identities safe so far.  You’re like a punk rock Daft Punk, but different.  How close have you all come to getting busted?

We been busted many times, but not as far as our secret identities are concerned.  We are pretty religious about our masks, too, so nobody really sees us without ‘em on.  Yellow is real religious just in general, actually.  He never went to church too much though, so he always get’s shit confused.  He thinks Jesus died on a x-mas tree.  It’s hilarious.  Actually, it’s really depressing.  But, hey, that’s Yellow!  Truth is, we aren’t really anybody other than our colors.  It’s like, I am Blue.  Green is Green.  That’s how we feel about it. It’s like, why does it matter what name is on my birth certificate?  You know?  There really aren’t any other identities to discover.  This is us.  We are Masked Intruder.

 Your self-released album is incredible.  I am sure you know that.  I am just curious to see who some of your major musical influences are?

Hey thanks!  We have a lot of musical influences, but I guess everybody says that.  You always wanna give a cool answer, like, some obscure band that will prove how hip you are.  The truth is, we like a lot of stuff that wouldn’t even make us seem cool if we said it.  Like, I really like Taylor Swift.  I think the songs are sweet, alright?  I don’t know how much it influences me, as such, but I definitely like the idea of perfect pop songs.  Pop of all kinds gets us going.  You know, Eddie Money, Buddy Holly, Lady Gaga, Green Day, Weezer, Abba, Queen.  That’s good shit, if you ask me.  We all did our time listening to nothing but punk in the 90’s.  Well, not quite.  I think Green used to listen to some weird shit, and Yellow maybe listened to Boys II Men a lot.  I guess I did own Doggystyle on cassette.  Anyways, yeah.  We have a lot of influences.  One thing that’s definitely true is that we were listening to the Four Seasons a lot while we were first working on the record.  Red had this double LP, with a bunch of their songs.  He loved it so much, he used to carry it on him at all times.  Then, one day, it got eaten by a dog when he was doing a b&e.  Allegedly.

Man, sad story about that LP… You’ve been touring with Teenage Bottlerocket and Nothington lately right?  How did that go?

In a word, it was really fucking cool.  Both of those bands are just awesome dudes.  We couldn’t have gotten along better, you know?  I mean, I guess we could have made out with each other and stuff.  I don’t mean that those dudes are gay.  I mean, it would be ok if they were, but I don’t think any of them are.  We’re not gay, neither.  Not on the outside, at least.  You do what you need to do to get by when you’re on the inside, you know?  Anyways, the tour was great.  Both of those bands are so good, it’s great to see them do what they do every night.  It’s a real pleasure to share a stage every night with class acts that them.  That goes especially for TBR, which are easily one of the best live bands any of us have ever seen.  The response to us was really amazing too!  We love our fans!  Especially the girls.  Double especially the single girls, or girls who maybe have boyfriends but would be into leaving them for a sketchy musician in a mask.

I heard you dragged Toby from Red Scare to the Cleveland show.  Wouldn’t that be considered kidnapping?

No way was it kidnapping, he was stoked on it.  Something you should know about Toby: he never misses a chance to party with a bunch of dudes of questionable integrity.  I mean never.  I’m pretty sure he would have put his wedding on pause if a douche bag in a leather jacket had asked nicely enough.  Actually, he probably wouldn’t a done that.  He’s got tact.  That’s why we admire him.  He is like a real mentor to us.  He thinks we oughta give the crime thing a rest, but then we just ask him for more money, and it’s understood.  Like I said, you do what you gotta do.

Money makes the world go round.  Any arrests or close calls while on tour yet?  

We were worried about getting into Canada, but those people are really nice and let us right in.  Come to think of it, that was a really dumb thing for them to do.  I mean, people in Canada don’t even lock their doors.  That’s what we heard, at least.  We ended up not having enough time to case any houses seeing as how we were playing every night, though.  Oh well.  Red did almost get picked up for skateboarding in San Diego.  He was all like, “skateboarding is not a crime!”  Then the cop was all like, “vandalizing is a crime, though, and you are doing that too.”  This was true, of course, but it wasn’t Red’s fault.  He just hates rules, you know?  You can’t blame him.  Why should we respect a society that don’t respect us?  Anyways, it turns out it wasn’t a real cop: it was just a parking lot attendant with a mustache and sunglasses.  Maybe not what you would call a close call, but it was scary at the time.  He ended up being a pretty cool guy though.  We traded him some CDs for some weed.

Did you have anything to do with the Bouncing Souls’s gear getting ripped off?

Absolutely not.  It sucks that that happened.  It was kinda weird that they got ripped off right around when we played with them, but it wasn’t us.  We wouldn’t wanna steal from a band we like.  For one, we assume they don’t have much money on them at any given time.  Bands don’t really make much money these days.  For two, we respect those dudes and what they do and we wouldn’t want that to happen to us.  There may not be honor amongst thieves, but there is honor amongst touring bands.  If you are gonna rob someone, make it somebody less cool.  Like, a lawyer or a stockbroker or something dumb like that.

Since you are a punk pop band of mystery, tell us something we may not know about you all? 

We are actually really nice dudes and easy to get along with.  People always think we are gonna be these hardened criminals, but we aren’t.  We are soft criminals.  We are all kinda dorks, too.  I am really into horror movies.  So is yellow.  We all like comic books a lot too.  Also, Red is a vegetarian.

When are you releasing Masked Intruder on vinyl?

Originally, we wanted to release the vinyl at the same time as the CD.  There were a lot of setbacks, though, so we had to push the release back a couple months to October.  Then there were more setbacks, so we are looking at releasing it just in time for xmas.  We feel bad having to push it back like that, but it was out of our control.  It was like we were cursed with all these setbacks.  Not as bad as Def Leppard or nothing.  I mean, Red still has both his arms.  But, still.  Setbacks are tough.

Will it come with a promotional ski-mask?

That’s a good idea!  We will have to see about that…

What ever will you do when someone robs a bank and says Masked Intruder was their influence?

We hope that never happens.  We don’t advocate other people doing crimes.  We would prefer it if we were the only ones doing crimes, since that means more take for us.  If some birdbrain ever did rob a bank and try to say he got the idea from us, we would probably try to sue him for a portion of the money he stole.  I don’t know if you can do that, but we would definitely try.  If we were so famous that people were gonna copycat us, we should be able to afford pretty fancy lawyers.  Like, Johnny Cochran is a good one.  Or, it would be cool to have Saul Goodman.  He’s just a tv character, I know, but still.  He is a awesome lawyer.  Way better than the public defenders we are used to.

Saul rules.  I say go for it if it ever happens.  So, you got a knife motherfucker?  Sorry, that song rules in so many ways.

Thanks!  It was inspired by true events.  Allegedly.

Who’s the dame on “Heart Shaped Guitar” getting all sorts of freaked out?

It’s Maura from the band Mixtapes.  She was the voice I pictured when I wrote the tune, so it was beyond rad that she was able to do it.  We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

No shit.  That is awesome.  Please tell me there is a video in the works…

There is a video in the works.  You will see a few videos from this record.  Could be you will see one of them pretty soon. You didn’t hear that from me.

Hear what?  Maybe it’s too soon to be asking this, but what are the chances a follow up to this release is going to happen?

The chances of a follow up to this release are at least 100%.  We never stopped writing songs, even while we recorded the first album.

Will it be about love and bath salts?

We ain’t written a song about bath salts yet, but you never know.  That shit sure is a wild ride.  Somebody should write a song about it if we don’t.  I think it’s a safe bet that there will be a bunch of love songs on any records we put out.  Then again, we can’t say for sure what all will be on the next full length, since we are still writing for it.  For all we know, all of the songs that will end up on the next LP are yet to be written.  When we feel like we have the tunes to put together a full length that beats our first, we’re gonna.  There is a pretty damn good chance you will see another EP and maybe a split or something from us before then, though.

You are hitting the road again with Teenage Bottlerocket right?  They must really like you all.

They do!  And we like them too!  We are in like.  Actually, they are seriously probably my favorite band.  It’s pretty awesome to have them like us back.  Now, if only we can get that action working on hot chicks…

Speaking of chicks, what’s the best way to get a chick to fall for you while you are on house arrest?

I wish I knew!  The best idea we have had yet is to write the best songs you can and then record them and try to get enough people to listen to them that the girl ends up hearing them and liking them and falling in love with you from your lyrics and then you meet up and discover that you both secretly love each other like in the end of a Taylor Swift video or a Tom Hanks movie or something.  It’s a long process, but we figure it’s gotta work out eventually.  Then again, you never can tell about these things.  Girls are like Chinese: they are basically impossible to understand.  I mean, Chinese people understand it, I guess.  So, girls are like English if you’re Chinese, and like Chinese if you’re English.  Or, I mean, American.  Unless you are an American that speaks Chinese or a Chinese person that speaks American.  Anyways, girls are confusing.  You just gotta wear your heart on your sleeve and hope for the best.

Supenia of love…  You can use that if you want.  I like you guys that much.

Fuck yeah!  Thanks!  I picture “Lawnmower of Love” by MTX with the words changed.  I guess that would probably get us sued.

Eh, I say go for it.  You are masked, they will never know who to sue.


Check out Masked Intruder’s self titled release available on their Bandcamp and through Red Scare Records.

Interview: Ray & Kody of Teenage Bottlerocket

Do I really need to sit here and type an intro for Teenage Bottlerocket?  I am sure many of you who are reading this know who this band is and what they are all about.  In the last few years they have been turning heads with their pop punk fun and special humor.  Currently the band has become one of the more talked about bands on the Fat Wreck Chords roster with their recently dropped album Freak Out!.  It’s easily one of my favorite releases of 2012.

I’ve been privileged to have caught this act years ago and knew back then that they would be going places one day.  A few years back I was fortunate to have the chance to interview Ray just as the band signed with Fat Wreck Chords.  They were still getting noticed at the time and it just a fun experience.  When I heard that they was going to hit the road this summer headlining their own tour, I was stoked and felt the need to chat with them again.

This time around I was able to talk with Ray and Kody about their new release as well as whatever else came to mind.  Enjoy!

How’s it going guys?

Ray: Going Great, Thanks for asking.

This is killing me so I need to get it out of the way, but last time we chatted we were talking about the worst city you ever played in and Ray said Las Cruces, NM. Well, recently I moved to Las Cruces, NM, and have caught a minor case of depression knowing you may never come down this way again. I understand. Perhaps that can change one day as I would love to see you guys live again. Can I bribe you all with chicken tacos or something?

Ray: Chicken enchiladas might be a bribe we would take.

Kody: I love Mexican food so you’re on the right path with the chicken tacos, but you’re going to have to throw something else in there too. 6 pack of HAMMS?

Photo by Shane Salazar

HAMMs….check.  Seriously though, I am sure a lot has changed in the last two years since we first chatted. First off, congrats on an all new album! How stoked are you for all your fans to hear?

Ray: Very stoked to see the fans reaction to the songs, especially live.  I cant wait to get out there and play these songs.

Kody: I’m stoked.  I think it’s our best record yet.

The album rules. Once again you guys have impressed the hell out of me with your fun punk rock jams. Thank you.

Ray: You’re very welcome.

Kody: All in a day’s work!

You all crammed back into the Blasting Room again to record Freak Out. How did it feel to be in the recording studio working with Andrew Berlin?

Ray: Very comfortable. It was great to work with Andrew again, he is the secret 5th member of the band.

Kody: Working with Andrew is awesome. He’s one of us.

Any reason for calling the new album Freak Out!?

Kody: Yes.

Ray: We usually try to name our records after songs.  Originally we were going to call the record Summertime. After we recorded, Summertime just didn’t really fit the feel of the album. We all agreed Freak Out! was a better title.

“Necrocomicon” is amazing. Who came up with that brilliant song?

Kody: Me. It’s about the comic book of the dead……get it?

Ray: I love it.

Photo by Emi Dimaggio

Are there any songs on the album you happen to favor?

Kody: It’s hard to pick a favorite. Songs you write for a record are like children. It’d be tacky and wrong to claim one as your favorite.

Ray: I really like “Go With The Flow” and “In The Pit.” I have a special place in my heart for all the songs.

Did you do anything differently this time around or did you keep with the same sound?

Ray: We have developed our sound a little more, nothing too out there, but I think we have all gotten better at our instruments.

Kody: We used a keyboard on one of the songs. Aside from that….no.

So tell me about the video you shot for the first single off the new album, “Headbanger”.

Kody: We threw a party at Brandon’s house and a bunch of our buddies showed up sporting all kinds of heavy metal gear. So we got wrecked and recorded it.

Ray: Its a Heavy Metal party. Our friend “Magic Cyclops” is in the video, he’s the headbanger.

That song was actually written by a previous band you guys were in, SACK, right?. How long ago was that band in full force?

Kody: SACK was around for about a year and a half maybe. It was never really full force. We played three shows and they were all a fucking disaster. I blame the booze. It was a fun band though.

Ray: They were back when the “Get Wrecked” album was recorded. I think it was sometime in 2003. SACK shreds!

Any other videos in the works?

Ray: None at the moment.

You are about to embark on a huge tour in support of Freak Out!, how does it feel to get back on the road?

Kody: Awesome. This last break we took [from touring] has been the longest since we started. It’s always fun playing shows and hanging out with earth other and all our buddies in other cities.

Who are you most excited to be sharing the tour with? I must say I am bummed the hell out to not be in Cleveland to see Nothington play with you guys… (and The Beat Kids…haha)

Ray: I’m excited to hang with everyone. I really like all the bands we are touring with.

Kody: I’m stoked to have all the bands out with us. We’re lucky that we can have a say in who we take out with us. So it’s always a blast going out as a headliner cause we get to take our buddies with. I’m stoked to see Masked Intruder. That ep they put out cracks me up.

So who in the band decided that Teenage Bottlerocket needed to cover some Joy Division songs?

Ray: Kody came to me with the idea and I was all about it. I wasn’t familiar with “Ice Age”, but I knew “We Walked In Line.”  The 7″ turned out great. It was cool to have Clearview involved with one of our releases again.

Kody: Todd Greene at Clearview brought it up cause he knew that we were into Joy Division. He picked “Ice Age” and we picked “Walked in Line.”

Any chance you guys will do something like this again?

Ray: We are doing a special vinyl release with Clearview, but I don’t want to give too much away. It’s going to be really cool.

Kody: I would say yes. We’ve always had fun covering other bands tunes and recording that shit.

Did you guys ever think your bad would get where it is today?

Kody: And where is that?

Ray: I never thought it would, but I always wanted it to.

10 years together as a band; that is pretty damn impressive. Are things getting easier for you all?

Ray: Yes, We just know how to do it a little better now, not too much better, but a little.

How was insubordination Fest?

Kody: It was rad.

Ray: It was alot of fun. Great bands, and Natural Bohemian beer.

“Bigger Than Kiss” made it on Rock Band. Dudes, you totally have a video game song. Is it weird playing it yourselves?

Ray: Haha, I haven’t ever played it. I was stoked “Crashing” got into Skate 2. I like skateboard video games more than the Guitar Hero stuff. I really suck at playing those guitars.

Kody: I’m more of a Guitar Hero kind of guy. Next question.

So, just a random out of nowhere question, does it freak you out that so many of the bands on the covers of music magazines like AP and whatnot are more or less dressed in drag?

Not at all, its nothing new, take a look at the front cover of the 1st New York Dolls records, or Look What the Cat Dragged In by Poison. I think its cool. I don’t know any of those bands, but they look different, and that’s cool with me. I get bummed out on the way every one in my hometown of Laramie, Wyoming, wears North Face jackets, and they try to look all “Colorado”. I wish they dressed like the New York Dolls, so I guess its sort of a breath of fresh air, in kind of an odd way.

Kody: It would freak me out more if they weren’t dressed.

Both valid points.  I still question what happened to some of these kids…

Kody: Bath salts!

Enough of me sounding like grandpa punk… Let me turn this interview over to you. Any thing you guys would like to say?

Ray: Please come check us out if we are playing in your area. It would mean a lot to us.


Teenage Bottlerocket’s Freak Out! is currently available at Fat Wreck Chords.

I reviewed the album a couple weeks back and loved it.

Teenage Bottlerocket is currently on tour in support of Freak Out!.  Check out their dates below and for the love of all things punk…go see them live.  They really put on a good show.

Metal Sucks posted their own thoughts about “Headbanger”.  It’s hilarious although I think they are serious.

Teenage Bottlerocket Tour Dates:

08/17/12 – Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class w/ Nothington, Masked Intruder
08/18/12 – London, ON Canada – Call The Office w/ Nothington, Masked Intruder
08/19/12 – Toronto, ON Canada – Horseshoe w/ Nothington, Masked Intruder
08/20/12 – Montreal, QC, Canada – Les Foufounes Electriques w/ Nothington, Masked Intruder
08/21/12 – Cambridge, MA – Middle East w/ Nothington, Masked Intruder
08/22/12 – New York, NY – Santo’s Party House w/ Nothington, Masked Intruder
08/23/12 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes w/ Nothington, Masked Intruder
08/24/12 – Philadelphia, PA – The Barbary w/ Nothington, Masked Intruder
08/25/12 – Baltimore, MD – Otto Bar w/ Nothington, Masked Intruder
08/26/12 – Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks w/ Nothington, Masked Intruder
09/13/12 – Omaha, NE – The Sandbox
09/14/12 – Minneapolis, MN – Cabooze w/ NOFX, Dilliner Four, Arms Aloft
09/15/12 – Chicago, IL – Riot Fest
09/17/12 – Lansing, MI – Mac’s Bar
09/18/12 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe w/ NOFX
09/19/12 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts w/ NOFX
09/20/12 – Nashville, TN – The High Watt
09/21/12 – Little Rock, AR Downtown Music Hall
09/22/12 – Dallas, TX – Riot Fest
10/09/12 – Des Moines, IA – Gas Lamp w/ Masked Intruders
10/11/12 – Madison, WI – The Frequency w/ Toys That Kill, Masked Intruder
10/13/12 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick- Lounge w/ Toys That Kill, Masked Intruder
10/14/12 – Fort Wayne, IN – The Brass Rail w/ Toys That Kill, Masked Intruder, Flaming Nosebleed
10/15/12 – St. Louis, MO – Firebird w/ Smoke Or Fire, Masked Intruder
10/16/12 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar w/ Smoke Or Fire, Masked Intruder
10/17/12 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Conservatory w/ Smoke Or Fire, Masked Intruder
10/19/12 – Houston, TX – Walter’s w/ Smoke Or Fire, Masked Intruder
10/20/12 – Austin, TX – Red Seven w/ Smoke Or Fire, Masked Intruder
10/21/12 – Corpus Christi, TX – House of Rock w/ Smoke Or Fire, Masked Intruder
10/22/12 – San Antonio, TX – Korova w/ Smoke Or Fire, Masked Intruder
10/27/12 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft w/ Propagandhi, The Menzingers

Interview: Jeff & Loren of Signals Midwest

It’s no lie.  I miss Cleveland.  I miss Akron.  I miss you Ohio.

I can not tell you how excited I was last night once my Cleveland homies Signals Midwest dropped by for a quick visit.

The boys had a night off of their current tour and I told them they could crash at my pad if they wanted.  They took me up on my offer and decided that we should all go see that new Batman movie too.

I was more than fine with that.

After the movie (amazing btw) and many beers later I felt like interviewing them for kicks and giggles.  Jeff and Loren were the troopers of the night and not only stayed up late, but were all about a drunken impromptu interview.

BHP:  So, what did you think about the movie?

Jeff Russell:  There was about 7 scenes that was tied to to my favorite and they all included Anne Hathaway and I was all like me likey likey.

Loren Shumaker-Chupp: Oh Batman… I don’t know.  The Restorations flasks were pulling it up.  John Blake was getting promoted to detective was epic.  I hit a certain point in the movie where I didn’t know what was going on.  Bruce Wayne making it out of the pit was it.

BHP: Bane was a little heavy on the Vader.

JR:  Ummmmm….I think as a trilogy it ended perfectly and I loved how Christopher Nolan had an all-star cast.  If he was a basketball coach, he would have had a dream team.  But LeBron James would have been in the new Spiderman movie.

LS: The pit that Wayne was stuck in was easy to get to get out of  in New Jersey.

JR:  Commissioner Gordon moved to Cleveland.

BHP:  Ha ha, and I moved away.  Do you feel the movie lacked in anything?

JR:  I would have loved to see Mr. Freeze and what he would have brought to the table.  I would have loved to have seen his take on global warning.  What if Al Gore played Mr. Freeze?

LS: I just think that I have a better memory of Danny DeVito carrying around that umbrella.  I just say that because you can’t use the Penguin anymore because he killed it.  Jack Nicholson killed it.  He warned Heath Ledger to not play the Joker.

BHP:  How’s the tour going?

LS:  Going great.  Played a lot of shows we did not know what we were getting into but had a good turnout.  We like playing new places not knowing what were were going into and having a good reaction.

JR:  The people that travel to see us is mind-blowing.  It sounds conceded, but we made some solid friends in cities that we could  not have played in due to cramming in so many shows as possible in a month and not going to as many cities as we wanted to.

LS:  This tour is great as we get to see a lot of cities, but not as many as we wanted to.  It is great to see so many people thought.

JR:  I will say it’s crazy being 2 weeks being Luther and 4 days ahead of Hold Tight!.  Having kids still come out to our shows is pretty awesome.  It’s tour season.

BHP:  What is next for you guys?

JR: We start a week long tour with French Exit.

LS:  We will be out with them for 6 days and have the cost.

JR:  We ge tho play at our favorite venue called VLHS. Does anybody need a beer?

BHP:  Yes.

LS:  Vince Lombardi high school. Yeah.

JR:  Also stoked to see Sleeping Weather, cause that band shreds.  I think they are just a three piece.

BHP:  What do you guys think of Las Cruces?

JR:  It is not that hot.

LS:  I heard some coyotes earlier.

JR:  No scorpions.  We went and saw Dark Night Crisis with our home girl Brian.

LS:  Las Cruces is awesome because you can buy liquor at Walgreens.  In Cleveland you have go to a liquor store.  Wave Falls, what is that Wallgreens beer?

And that was it.  The interview ended and we all went to bed.  It was well past 3am and we were all exhausted and maybe a little drunk too.  Even though Max and Steve passed out early (Steve, I hope you are feeling better man), it was still great to see the guys.  I only wish it could have lasted a little longer.  Sadly I had to go to work…really hungover, but I made it and wet on with my good self while Village Inn made breakfast for Signals Midwest.  Man I was jealous about that…

Happy touring fellas. Thanks for the great hang.